We have lots of friends at the court

More than 60 companies have signed on to a brief asking the Supremes to strike down the Calif. gay marriage ban. They don't like being compelled to endorse the idea that gay and lesbian employees and customers are second-class citizens. And over 300 companies, law firms, civic and professional groups, cities and counties, and the Conference of Mayors have signed a brief to ask the Supremes to invalidate the part of the Defense of Marriage Act that prevents the federal gov't from recognizing gay marriages. They also don't like treating gays differently, and they don't like the cost of figuring out how to administer benefits when some couples get federal recognition and some don’t. That includes explaining the differences to the employees and helping them make appropriate choices. And there is one more cost: When gay couples see their benefits are different, who do they take it out on? The employer, who is seen as inquisitor and discriminator.

A couple professional football players, Brendan Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe, have made a name as gay allies. They also filed a brief in the Calif. gay marriage case. Thanks, guys.

The pro-gay side of the Calif. gay marriage case is reporting dozens of briefs filed on their behalf. It is quite a list.

And, finally and at the last moment, Obama (through his Justice Dept.) has filed a brief. Some people are annoyed because, though the brief says all the right things, it also has something about the "eight-state solution." If a state has civil unions that are the same as marriage except for the name the ruling could say those civil unions must become marriages. This is seen as a way of sidestepping the ruling that gay marriage bans are unconstitutional. I haven't read the 40 page brief (and I don't play a lawyer in this blog) so I don't know the details. Those 8 states are: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Rhode Island.